Faux painting is deceptively simple once you've got the hang of it. There are some basic errors that beginners often make that are worth noting if you want to achieve the results you're dreaming of.
1. Good materials produce good results. Buy the right paints and brushes and make sure your painting surface is well prepared. Painting onto flat paint is almost a guarantee of failure.
Eggshell or satin base paint is the best undercoat. Faux finishes don't work as well on flat paint surfaces. Paint also needs to dry slowly and flat finishes tend to dry quickly and the scope for fixing mistakes is limited. Finally, underlying flat paint just seems to dull finishes.
2. You may be tempted by artist's palettes and specially designed sponges and applicators. Save your money for good paints and brushes. Gadgets and special tools aren't necessary. A soft sponge sold for household cleaning will do for applying color washes and an ice cube tray doubles as a practical paint palette.
Don't waste that paint! You can always stick it in the freezer rather than letting it harden. Another money-saving tip is to use dishwashing liquid for cleaning brushes. You can buy fancy cleaners but a grease-cutting dishwashing liquid works just fine with water-based paints and with stencil creams, which are partially oil-based.
3. Your results depend on the surface you start with. You must fill cracks and cavities before you start, but it doesn't end there. You then need to sand it and seal it with a water-based sealant. To ensure sure that the patch job blends in with the surroundings you need to make sure it is the same colour. Use the original paint if you have it or, alternatively, you can tint the sealant using some acrylic paint of the appropriate color. Don't cut corners on surface preparation - flaws will show through.
4. Keep oil and water-based paints separate at all costs. Knowing the ingredients of your paints can save you from catastrophe. For example, don't assume that latex paint is an oil paint. It is partly water and so will not mix with oil paint.
5. Clean conditions help create a neat finish. This applies especially to your brushes, which need to be thoroughly cleaned. If you don't clean them properly you may end up with streaky paint and strange colors. You don't need specialist cleaners but just running brushes under the tap is not enough. Cleaning pads for children's art brushes are available for much less than the professional version.
6. Mess has a way of multiplying. Splashes and streaks are bad enough in your own home but they are unacceptable if you are working for someone else. If you do splash on carpets, don't use water or chemicals to try to remove it. It could make matters worse. For small splashes, trim the ends of the soiled threads with a pair of small scissors when the paint has dried. If the patch is too large, a product called Goof Off may do the trick.
6. Wet and dry don't mix. If you're using glazes you need to make sure that you're not creating areas where wet paint meets dry edges. The dry paint won't spread at the meeting point and the join will show. Plan to paint areas in one session, without a break. That includes, telephone, tea and toilet interludes. The hotter the weather the faster you will need to work before areas of glaze dries.
8. It's not only great artists who have their own style of painting. Your own rhythm and movement when applying paint is distinctive and if two people with different styles work on adjacent areas of wall, the difference can be obvious. Even your own style can alter over a day's work: when you start flagging, for example. If it's a team effort, work on different walls (or alternate layers). Your work will be more consistent if each area is completed in a defined session.
1. Good materials produce good results. Buy the right paints and brushes and make sure your painting surface is well prepared. Painting onto flat paint is almost a guarantee of failure.
Eggshell or satin base paint is the best undercoat. Faux finishes don't work as well on flat paint surfaces. Paint also needs to dry slowly and flat finishes tend to dry quickly and the scope for fixing mistakes is limited. Finally, underlying flat paint just seems to dull finishes.
2. You may be tempted by artist's palettes and specially designed sponges and applicators. Save your money for good paints and brushes. Gadgets and special tools aren't necessary. A soft sponge sold for household cleaning will do for applying color washes and an ice cube tray doubles as a practical paint palette.
Don't waste that paint! You can always stick it in the freezer rather than letting it harden. Another money-saving tip is to use dishwashing liquid for cleaning brushes. You can buy fancy cleaners but a grease-cutting dishwashing liquid works just fine with water-based paints and with stencil creams, which are partially oil-based.
3. Your results depend on the surface you start with. You must fill cracks and cavities before you start, but it doesn't end there. You then need to sand it and seal it with a water-based sealant. To ensure sure that the patch job blends in with the surroundings you need to make sure it is the same colour. Use the original paint if you have it or, alternatively, you can tint the sealant using some acrylic paint of the appropriate color. Don't cut corners on surface preparation - flaws will show through.
4. Keep oil and water-based paints separate at all costs. Knowing the ingredients of your paints can save you from catastrophe. For example, don't assume that latex paint is an oil paint. It is partly water and so will not mix with oil paint.
5. Clean conditions help create a neat finish. This applies especially to your brushes, which need to be thoroughly cleaned. If you don't clean them properly you may end up with streaky paint and strange colors. You don't need specialist cleaners but just running brushes under the tap is not enough. Cleaning pads for children's art brushes are available for much less than the professional version.
6. Mess has a way of multiplying. Splashes and streaks are bad enough in your own home but they are unacceptable if you are working for someone else. If you do splash on carpets, don't use water or chemicals to try to remove it. It could make matters worse. For small splashes, trim the ends of the soiled threads with a pair of small scissors when the paint has dried. If the patch is too large, a product called Goof Off may do the trick.
6. Wet and dry don't mix. If you're using glazes you need to make sure that you're not creating areas where wet paint meets dry edges. The dry paint won't spread at the meeting point and the join will show. Plan to paint areas in one session, without a break. That includes, telephone, tea and toilet interludes. The hotter the weather the faster you will need to work before areas of glaze dries.
8. It's not only great artists who have their own style of painting. Your own rhythm and movement when applying paint is distinctive and if two people with different styles work on adjacent areas of wall, the difference can be obvious. Even your own style can alter over a day's work: when you start flagging, for example. If it's a team effort, work on different walls (or alternate layers). Your work will be more consistent if each area is completed in a defined session.
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